Ductor roller control for printing presses



Jan. 18, 1949., SCHULTZ 2,459,188

DUCTOR ROLLER CONTROL FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed June 12,, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. GEORGE H. SCHULTZ A TTORNEYS.

Jan. 18, 1949. G. H. SCHULTZ DUCTOR ROLLER CONTROL FOR PRINTING PRESSES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2:

Filed June 12, 1.945

INVENTOR GEORGE H.5cHyL17.

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 18, 1949 DUCTOR ROLLER CONTROL FOR PRINTING PRESSES George H. Schultz", Elmsford, N. Y.

Application June 12, 1945, Serial No. 598,962

This invention relates to printing presses and 3' Claims. (Cl. 101-844) particularly to the control of the ink distributing mechanism therefor.

In Miehle and other cylinder printing type presses a reciprocating ink distributing table is engaged by an ink applying ductor roller which is caused to rotate as the table reciprocates under it and to swing downwardly at the end of each reciprocation of the table and touch an ink fountain roller to obtain a supply of ink. The ductor roller rotates in contact with the fountain roller for a fraction of its rotation each time it touches the fountain roller, a certain amount of ink being picked up during this contact.

Since the ink distributing table is moving at a considerable speed when it moves free of the ductor roller, it leaves the latter spinning, and since each cycle of operation of the press has the same effect on the ductor roller as the preceding cycle, unless something is done to control the movement of the ductor roller, the tendency is for the same surface area thereon to contact the ink fountain roller for each cycle of operation.

. Furthermore, if the ductor roller is rotating with respect to the ink fountain'roller when the contact is made, there will be a tendency for'the ink to pile up on the ductor roller in frontof the point of contact. Thus a particular portion only of the ductor roller receives ink at each contact with the fountain roller. 1

The same point on the surface of the ductor roller will also tend to contact the ink distributing table at the same point for each cycle, and thus a particular strip of surface across the table will receive ink from that particular portion of the ductor roller having the supply of ink. This pro- 2 duces an uneven distribution of ink on the table and consequently an uneven distribution of ink on the type with the obvious undesirable results.

If the rotation of the ductor roller can be controlled so that it will touch the fountain roller at a slightly different point (say onethird of a complete rotation from its previous point of contact) for each cycle of operation, the undesirable efiects describedabove will be eliminated or reduced and the ink will be more evenly distributed over the ink distributing table and' It is accordingly one of the objects of the invention to provide a simple attachment for a printing press of the type described which may be easily attached and easily adjusted and which will overcome the defects mentioned above.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ductor control attachment for printing presses which may be adjusted While the press is in operation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a ductor control attachment for a printing press which will not be affected by such operations as washing down the press with oil or other cleaning fluid. v

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent as the description of the invention proceeds.

The invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one endof Y Fig. 2 is a plan view of the portion of the press shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational View tions of the press to indicate the manner of attachment thereto;

Fig. 4 is an end view of my attachment showing the supporting bracket and the adjusting wheel; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the supporting bracket with the braking member removed; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one end of the braking member showing the brake shoe and the guard therefor.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings my invention is shown applied to a printing press of the Miehle type having a frame I which carries the ink distributing table 2 mounted for reciprocation in a well known manner not shown in this drawing. mounted at the end of the frame and is provided with the fountain roller 4 which is arranged to be rotated by a lever 5 which carries a pawl 6 engaging ratchet teeth I at one end of the fountain roller 4. The lever 5 is oscillated by means of a link 8 pivoted to the lower end of the lever and moved by an operating part of the press, not shown. It will .be understood that each time the lever 5 is oscillated the pawl will rotate the roller 4 through an angle corresponding to a predetermined member of ratchet notches and that a film of ink from the fountain 3 at the right of g the fountain roller 4 will appear on the surface of the roller when it is rotated.

of my improved attachment showing sufficient por- The usual ink fountain 3 is which latter position it is in contact with the fountain roller 4; i

The brackets H and i2 are provided with dethereon a washer 45 which prevents the lock nut pending portions it to which arms 15 are pivot- 4 ally attached in slots It for the purpose of swing ing the ductor roller downwardly at the proper time in the cycle of operation of the press}? The arms [5 are connected to operating portions of the press, as will be understood.- angle rollers ll, [8, and I9 are-provided for better distribution of the ink on the hil distributing table. U v i. The description thus far "applies to a well known standard type press and my attachment for con trolling the rotation of the ductor roller will now be'described. My controllingattachment comprises a spring pressed brake shoe 2|] mounted onthe end of a rod 2! which is slidably supported in a member 22 pivoted to a bracket 23. 1

The bracket 23 may comprise a plate 24 which may be secured to the frame 1 immediately above the fountain 3'as by the screws 25. At eacl'r'side of one end of the plate are provided upright members 26 and 21 which may be screwed to theplate 24 by screws 28. A reinforcing angle member29 is provided to strengthen the whole structure and is shown with one flange screwed to the upright members 26 and 2'! by screws'30 and to theplate by certain of the screws 25, pins 3! being provided through the angle member and plate for additional rigidity.

The member 22 for supporting the brake shoe is preferably cylindrical and provided with a bore 32 extending from one end almost through the member. A smaller diameter bore 33 extends through the other end and is coaxial with the first bore.

fit into a hole 34 in a square block 35 and is rigidly secured therein in any desired manner. The block 35 is provided with two trunnions- 36and 31 which are rotatably mounted in holes 38 and 39 in the upper ends of the bracket upright members 26 and 21, respectively. Suitable bearing The end of the member 22 having the smaller diameter bore is reduced in diameter to 43 and the wheel 42 from being completely removed. A fibre washer 46 may be placed between the wheel and the member 22 to protect the threads on the rod 2! and to act as a cushion each time the rod 2| reaches its outward limit of reciprocation. y

The brake shoe 2!) may comprise a member 4! having an interior surface ofj U-shapedcross section with a lining 48 of suitablebrakeb'and material. The radius of curvature of the inner portion of the metal member 41 is such that the .brakeband-material on the sides of the U-shaped member will just fit over the enlarged portion-49 bushings may be provided in these holes to reduce the wear as the member 22 oscillates on the axis of the trunnions as a pivot. a

The rod 2| is larger in diameter at the end .car-

rying the brake shoe 2i], forming a shoulder All against which the end of a coil spring 4! presses when the rod is in position with the smalldiameter end passing through the bore 34' and the larger 7 diameter end slidably supported in'the bore 32.

The latter bore may be provided with a suitable to secure the latter in position on the rod when an adjustment. has been made. At the extreme end of therod 2 II may'provide anutdflthreaded on a reduced diameter portion and holding of the ductor roller shaft it without frictional engagement. The metal memberfll is preferably 1 madeintegral with the rod 2! at the end thereof with the axis of curvature of the brake surface substantially at right angles to the rod, as shown.

The sizeand position of the bracket 23is such that the axis of the trunnions 36 and -3l which is the axis of oscillation of the'member 22, lies parallel to the shaft [3, which is the axis of oscillation of the ductor roller 9,'and in a plane'includir'ig the shaft l3 which substantially bisects the-path: The device is then assembled withthe sides ofthe vushaped. member 41 straddling the shafts! [i and the wheel of movement of the ductor. roller...

42" is turned so that the zbrakeband material at the fact that it lies against the fibre washer which is in turn against themember:22.- V

"As the ductor roller 9 starts to's'wing towards" thecentral position shown in Fig. 3 in dotted lines; it carries the brake shoe assembly with it,'and because of the-toggle action, the brake shoe--ap-"- proaches the roller shaft and engages it before 5 the central position is reached. The brake shoe then-moves to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3, com pressing the spring 4'! still further, andthe brake shoe is'held against theshaft until the central I position ispassed, where upon the toggle action causes'the brake shoe to move away from the shaft again; so that the shaft is free to rotate with the fountain roller atthe end of its swing?" This braking action is repeated as the ductor roller up ink from movesback again after it has picked the fountain roller;

The ductor roller is spinning'at its greatest speed just after the ink distributor table moves .from under it and its speed normally tends to slow down as it moves downwardly towards the fountain roller. More braking'force. will be required to stop the roller at its uppermost position, there nearer the center of: move;

fore, than at points ment.

By means of the adjusting wheel 'onmy device 5 I am'ableto apply the brake at any point between the uppermost position of the ductor roller and the central position thereof, and thus a very .fine adjustment of the braking effect may be obtained.

By means of. this adjustment vI am able to stop" the ductor roller at any desired angle of itsro-g: tation, so that I can make it touchthe fountain i roller each time at a difierent point, for instance, at a point one third ofa complete rotation from the point at which it touched it previously.

An important feature of the invention is that 7 this adjustment of the. braking effect can be made while the press is-in operation Since the hand wheel 42 is 'osel to thepivotal pointof the member 22, it moves very little as the member 22 oscillates and can easily be turned and the lock nut adjusted without stopping the press. Thus, in operation, the press is started and the position of the ductor roller as it touches the fountain roller observed by watching a mark applied for that purpose on the end of the circumference of the roller. If the same spot touches the fountain roller for each cycle of operation, the wheel 42 is turned in the direction to bring the brake shoe nearer the ductor roller shaft at the uppermost position until the ductor roller is stopping each time at the desired retarded angular position, whereupon the lock nut is screwed into place finger tight.

Another important feature of the invention is that my device is not likel to be affected by deleterious material accumulating between the brake band and the ductor roller shaft. It will be seen that the U-shaped brake shoe is at such an angle that the open end of the U points downwardly at all times. Thus it is difficult for dust and dirt, or oil or cleaning fluids, which are normally used to wash the press down after a run, to lodge on the braking surface. In order further to protect the braking surface I provide a guard 50 of sheet metal about as wide as the brake shoe and bent to fit over it in spaced relation thereto. A hole through the lower portion of the guard permits the rod 2! to pass through it and the upper portion is secured to the member 41 by a screw 5! and spaced therefrom by a suitable Washer 52.

Modifications may be made in the structure shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention and I do not therefore desire to limit my invention except by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable braking attachment adapted to be applied to a printing press having an ink fountain and a fountain roller, a reciprocating ink distributor table, a ductor roller, and means for oscillating said ductor roller for ink conveying engagement with said table and said fountain roller, comprising a bracket, an elongated member pivoted at one end to said bracket and having a longitudinal bearing at the pivoted end and a larger diameter bearing aligned with said first bearing at the other end, a rod adapted to fit slidably within said first bearing and having a larger diameter portion at one end adapted to fit slidably within the larger diameter bearing of said member and forming a shoulder between the portions of a different diameter, a U-shaped brake shoe adapted to fit over the shaft of said ductor roller attached to the larger diameter end of said rod with the axis of curvature of the braking surface substantially at right angles to said rod, a coil spring surrounding said rod and having one end against said shoulder and theother end against said smaller diameter bearing of said member, and a wheel threaded on the end of said rod and adapted to engage the other side of said bearing, whereby the sliding movement of said rod under the action of said spring is limited by the position of said wheel on said rod which position may be adjusted by rotating said wheel.

2. In inking mechanism for printing presses having a frame, an ink fountain and fountain roller, a reciprocating ink distributor table, an ink conveying ductor roller, and means for oscillating said ductor roller into and out of ink conveying contact with said fountain roller and said table, the combination of braking means for said ductor roller comprising a brake shoe adapted to engage the shaft of said roller, mounting means for said brake shoe comprising a bracket rigidly secured to said frame, a member pivotally mounted on said bracket on an axis parallel to the axis of oscillation of the ductor roller, said axis being located at a point on said bracket lying on a line which substantially bisects the path of said oscillating movement and passes through said axis of oscillation, an element to which said brake shoe is secured slidably mounted on said member for motion on said member towards and away from said ductor roller, whereby said brake shoe engages said shaft in a toggle action, means to maintain said brake shoe in operative relation to the ductor roller shaft, resilient means to urge said element towards said ductor roller shaft, means to limit the motion of said element towards said ductor roller shaft, and means to adjust the position of said limiting means.

3. The combination, as defined in claim 2, in which the element to which the brake shoe is secured comprises a rod having a portion at one end of larger diameter than the main portion of said rod and forming a shoulder between said portions of difierent diameter and means for securing the brake shoe at the larger diameter and of said rod, threads on the other end of said rod; and in which the member pivotally mounted to the bracket is elongated and has a bearing at one end for slidably receiving the larger diameter end of said rod and another bearing at the other end for slidably receiving the smaller end of said rod, a coil spring is provided surrounding the smaller diameter portion of said rod and engaging at one end said shoulder and at the other the bearing for the smaller diameter end of said rod, and a wheel is provided threaded upon the end of said rod at the other side of said bearing from said spring, whereby the movement of said rod by said spring is limited and the limit of motion may be adjusted by the rotation of said wheel.

GEORGE H. SCHULTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,872,739 Humphrey Aug. 23, 1932 2,203,070 Zablocki June 4, 1940 

